ICPEES

What ICPEES does

ICPEES (Institut de chimie et procédés pour l'énergie, l'environnement et la santé) is a public research institute (Unité Mixte de Recherche UMR 7515) jointly operated by CNRS and the University of Strasbourg, founded in 2013 and headquartered at 25 rue Becquerel in Strasbourg, France. The institute operates three research departments — Catalysis and Materials, Molecular Chemistry and Analytics for Environment and Health, and Polymer Engineering — focused on heterogeneous catalysis, photocatalysis, electrochemistry, polymer engineering, analytical chemistry for air and water quality, CO2 conversion, hydrogen production, and biobased materials. ICPEES maintains a portfolio of specialized technical platforms including scanning electron microscopy (MEB-CRO), surface spectroscopy (PSASI), porosity analysis (PORES), spectral and thermal analysis (SpecTACle), nanofabrication (STnano), photocatalytic test benches, X-ray diffraction, and a rapid-prototyping fablab.

The institute's business model is structured around public research funding (CNRS, ANR, EU Horizon Europe, INTERREG), industrial contract research including CIFRE theses and LabCom joint laboratories with corporate partners such as Michelin (SpinLab), Chromatotec (anaVOC), SOPREMA, Safran Power Units, ASCA, and P-layer, and technology transfer through SATT CONECTUS and the 2023 spinout bobine for chemical plastic recycling. Customer-facing distribution is via direct industrial contracts and licensing, with marketing conducted through peer-reviewed publications, scientific conferences (SPEA, ISE, JNSPE), LinkedIn, and CNRS institutional channels. The institute has approximately 45 staff and is led by Director Cuong Pham-Huu, with Stéphane Le Calvé serving as Director of Institut Carnot MICA.

Name

ICPEES

Legal name

Institut de chimie et procédés pour l'énergie, l'environnement et la santé

Website

https://icpees.unistra.fr

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ICPEES is a public CNRS-University of Strasbourg research institute (UMR 7515) conducting multidisciplinary chemistry and process research in catalysis, polymer engineering, electrochemistry, and analytical chemistry for energy, environment, and health applications, serving industrial partners and the academic community through joint laboratories, contract research, and technology transfer.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Strasbourg

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations

Revenue model

1. Public Research Funding: As a public research laboratory under CNRS and Université de Strasbourg, ICPEES receives government funding for basic and applied research through national agencies including ANR (Agence Nationale de la Recherche), CNRS, and European funding programs (Horizon Europe, INTERREG).
2. Industrial Research Contracts: Contract research with industrial partners including SOPREMA, Michelin, Safran, and other companies. CIFRE (Conventions Industrielles de Formation par la Recherche) theses provide co-funding from companies for doctoral research.
3. Technology Transfer and Licensing: Revenue from technology transfer activities including patent licensing, startup creation (e.g., bobine), and commercialization of research outcomes through SATT CONECTUS.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ICPEES is a public multidisciplinary research institute (UMR 7515) jointly operated by CNRS and the University of Strasbourg, conducting fundamental and applied chemistry research across three departments: Catalysis and Materials, Molecular Chemistry and Analytics for Environment and Health, and Polymer Engineering. The institute delivers contract research, doctoral training (CIFRE theses), joint laboratories (LabCom), analytical services on specialized technical platforms, and technology transfer including patent licensing and startup creation (e.g., bobine).

Product overview

ICPEES (Institut de chimie et procédés pour l'énergie, l'environnement et la santé) is a joint CNRS-University of Strasbourg research institute operating three departments: Catalysis and Materials, Molecular Chemistry and Analytics, and Polymer Engineering. The institute provides access to specialized research platforms including electron microscopy, spectroscopy, porosity analysis, thermal analysis, and nanofabrication facilities. Key collaborative structures include LabCom SpinLab (with Michelin) for electrospinning and LabCom anaVOC (with Chromatotec) for VOC analysis. Technology transfer occurs through startups like bobine for chemical plastic recycling. The institute offers analytical services, technical platforms, and collaborative research programs addressing energy transition, environmental remediation, and health applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LabCom SpinLab Advanced electrospinning research platform established jointly with Michelin in June 2023 for developing multi-component nanofibrous functional materials with controlled 3D structuration targeting tire, energy, and adhesive applications.
• LabCom anaVOC Joint laboratory with Chromatotec launched in June 2023 for developing continuous real-time analysis methods for volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds using microfluidic-based instruments for air and water quality monitoring.
• senseApest Project EU Horizon Europe research project coordinated by CNRS with 11 partners (9 academic, 2 industrial), developing portable detection units based on VOC biomarker analysis for rapid non-invasive screening of plant pests at border inspections.
• HEDRAF Project INTERREG project developing drone-based air quality monitoring systems with real-time pollutant sensors for fire safety applications, in collaboration with Bas-Rhin Firefighters.
• Scanning Electron Microscopy Platform (MEB-CRO) Core facility for electron microscopy, nanomaterials characterization, and surface analysis available to internal researchers and external collaborators.

Quantifiable outcome

• Environmental impact reduction of >90% for sustainable catalyst synthesis methods
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability7 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• senseApest ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025EU Horizon Europe project (grant ID 101181582) coordinated by CNRS with 11 partners (9 academic, 2 industrial) for developing VOC-based pest detection systems for imported plants. Stéphane Le Calvé coordinates the project at ICPEES.
• MichelincoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2023Joint laboratory SpinLab launched June 2023, established between Michelin and ICPEES to develop advanced electrospinning platform for nanofibrous materials with controlled 3D structuration for tire, energy, and adhesive applications. Also strategic partner in bobine startup for chemical recycling industrialization at Parc Cataroux.
• ChromatoteccoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2023Joint laboratory anaVOC launched June 2023 for developing continuous real-time VOC and SVOC analysis methods and microfluidic-based instruments. Led by co-directors Anaïs Becker (ICPEES) and Damien Bazin (Chromatotec), with scientific supervision by Stéphane Le Calvé.
• SOPREMAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustrial partner for CIFRE thesis on biobased epoxy foams (Grégoire Muller) and non-isocyanate polyurethane development from lignins (Nathan Wybo thesis). Also supporting Antoine Duval HDR work on biobased polymer materials.
• Safran Power UnitsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on PEMFC research with Dr. Marion Scohy serving as jury member for thesis on high-temperature fuel cell catalytic layers.
• SATT CONECTUScoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTechnology transfer accelerator supporting ICPEES through patent management, startup creation (bobine), and the Mature your PhD Challenge for early-stage technology maturation.
• IRBA (Institut de Recherche Biomédicale des Armées)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on antidotes for organophosphorus poisoning with Dr. Rachid Baati, including doctoral thesis co-supervision for defensive chemistry research.
• VSB-TUO (Ostrava, Czech Republic)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrance-Czech Barrande mobility program partnership with three researcher exchanges in 2025, leading to joint project submissions (EU, M-ERA-NET) and collaborative publications.
• ASCA GmbH & Co. KGminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganic photovoltaic technology collaboration with Olivier Bardagot research group, involving prototype development for organic solar panels.
• P-layer SASminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganic photovoltaic panel technology collaboration alongside ASCA GmbH for organic solar cell prototype development.
• IPCMS (Institut de Physique Chimie Matériaux Strasbourg)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-direction of Yihui Cai thesis with Sylvie Bégin-Colin, collaboration on mechanochemical perovskite synthesis, and nanoplasmonics project PLASMOCAT with Giovanni Manfredi.
• Parc CatarouxminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLocation for bobine startup industrialization partnership with Michelin for chemical recycling technology deployment.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• IRCELYON (Institut de Recherches sur la Catalyse et l'Environnement de Lyon): CNRS-hosted mixed research unit specializing in heterogeneous catalysis, surface science, and environmental chemistry. Sister CNRS institute to ICPEES with overlapping catalysis and environmental-chemistry research portfolios.
• Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology (ICT): German applied-research institute covering polymer engineering, catalysis, and energy materials with strong industry contracting. Directly comparable applied-chemistry contract-research model with similar LabCom-style joint labs.
• bobine: Deeptech startup spun out from ICPEES in 2023 that uses heterogeneous catalysis and induction heating to depolymerize polyolefins into virgin-quality olefins. Directly leverages ICPEES IP and is the closest commercial embodiment of its chemical recycling platform.
• Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion: German Max Planck Institute focused on molecular catalysis and chemical energy conversion, including hydrogen and CO2 chemistry. Closest European peer for ICPEES's catalysis and energy research programs.
• ICGM Montpellier (Institut Charles Gerhardt Montpellier): CNRS-University of Montpellier chemistry institute covering catalysis, polymer science, and energy chemistry. Closely comparable multidisciplinary chemistry research organization in the same CNRS UMR system.

Broad incumbents

• IFP Energies nouvelles (IFPEN): Major French public research organization focused on energy transition, catalysis, and sustainable chemistry. Shares ICPEES's energy/catalysis mission and works with many of the same industrial partners (e.g., Safran, chemical majors) under a similar public-Research-CNRS/IFP funding model.
• TNO (Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research): Dutch applied-research organization with energy, materials, and environmental chemistry programs. Comparable European applied-research model with industry contracts and tech-transfer activities.
• Arkema: Major French specialty chemicals company with advanced materials, adhesives, and biobased polymer lines directly relevant to ICPEES's polymer engineering and biobased materials research. Operating partner on multiple French polymer R&D programs.
• CEA (Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives): Large French public research organization with hydrogen, fuel cell, and decarbonization programs overlapping ICPEES's energy mission. Operates much broader scope but shares CNRS-adjacent funding and French industrial-partner ecosystem.

Emerging players

• Chromatotec: French analytical-instrumentation company specializing in continuous VOC monitoring; co-runs LabCom anaVOC with ICPEES. Partially overlaps with ICPEES's analytical-chemistry and air-quality capabilities on the instrument commercialization side.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=n5YUTVMoloI
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/icpees

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ICPEES